


Heroes do(n't) cry

by EclipseOfTheWild



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Fluff comes later, Hurt/Comfort, I refer to Wild as Link, In chapter 2, It's mostly just Twi and Wild, Memory Loss, The others show up at the end, just letting you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-07-28 13:43:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20064976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclipseOfTheWild/pseuds/EclipseOfTheWild
Summary: "Heroes don’t need emotions. He just needed to fulfill his duty to the kingdom."Aka: Link (Wild) has a bad time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I'm here to give you such an original thing, Wild angst! I know, unheard of, right?
> 
> Hehe, joking aside, hope y'all enjoy!

_”Open your eyes” _

_”Wake up, Link.”_

...

He opened his eyes for the first time, blue lights shining above him, a strange rock slab underneath him. The sound of draining water reached his ears as he felt liquid escaping from the stone he laid on.

He couldn’t seem to remember how he had arrived. All he could recall was a voice, calling to him in his mind.

_’Link’_ she had called him.

Was that his name?

...

Link stared out at the open world, his face as blank as his mind.

The scene itself was what one could say was ‘beautiful’.

Trees were gathered together to make small forests that were dotted around the landscape, a lake or two could be seen in the distance, glittering due to the sunlight. A castle stood far in the distance, and a giant volcano loomed next to it.

Yet, as Link observed it all from his place on the edge of the cliff, he simply felt…empty.

...

He met the king of Hyrule. Well, he had already met him, but he had disguised himself as an old man back then.

Apparently they had met even _before_ then, but he couldn’t remember.

Link couldn’t remember a lot of things.

...

The king told him a lot about what happened a century prior. According to him, Link used to be a knight, protecting the princess.

Before he faded away, he told Link to save Princess Zelda, his daughter. 

Was that his purpose? Was he reborn into this world to save her? To save Hyrule?

Maybe that was why he felt so empty. Heroes don’t need emotions. He just needed to fulfill his duty to the kingdom.

...

The Sheikah elder- Impa, as she introduced herself- seemed surprised that he didn’t remember her.

He could even go as far as saying that she was…sad. Was she sad since he was a better hero back then? Would regaining his memories make him a better hero?

<s>He wanted to remember who he was</s>

No, he wanted to save Hyrule. That’s why he needed his memories. 

He couldn’t be selfish. Heroes weren’t selfish.

...

The first memory he regained was of the rise of the Calamity.

It was also the first time he saw Princess Zelda and Champions that Impa had spoken about.

The Princess wore a simple white dress, long blonde hair flowing behind her as she walked. Her eyes were burdened and hopeless. 

The largest champion essentially looked like a rock. He had a beard and a moustache, white hair sticking out in all directions.

<s>Why was he reminded of a brother when he looked at him?</s>

The bird champion had blue-grey feathers, a permanent scowl seeming to be on his face. His arms (wings?) crossed, reminding him of an angry child.

<s>Link wanted to punch him in the face for some reason.</s>

The tall champion reminded him of a warrior. Her long, red hair pulled up into a ponytail, her tan skin well defined with muscles. Her expression was kind and concerned, almost like that of a mother.

<s>He wondered what his mother looked like</s>

The aquatic champion had red fins(?) framing her face, almost like hair. Her hands were clasped in front of her as she shyly looked on. 

<s>Why does his heart hurt when he looks at her?</s>

The past Link walked next to the downtrodden princess, his face betrayed his concern and worry.

_Did he feel emotion back then?_

Was that why he had failed the first time? Had he let his feelings get in the way of his duty?

If he kept trying to collect his memories, would he get those emotions back? 

No, he couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t fail Hyrule again. Heroes don’t need emotions. They’ll just slow him down; they’ll keep him from succeeding.

He didn’t attempt to collect another memory.

...

As much as he tried, however, regaining his memories was apparently unavoidable. 

The second memory he found was in Zora’s Domain, as he gazed at the statue of the aquatic champion- Princess Mipha- as Prince Sidon attempted to reason with a stubborn Muzu.

Link had glanced up, and was captivated by the sweet smile that was frozen into the statue’s features. It was hauntingly familiar, making him want to look away, because the last thing he needed was to start remembering more about his past.

Yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away, and suddenly, he was somewhere else.

The first thing he noticed was Princess Mipha sitting next to his past self. She was reminiscing about their shared history while healing a scrape on his upper arm. They sat on what looked to be a giant elephant, which sat in a large lake that sparkled in the sunlight.

The Zora Princess’ hands glowed with magic as she held them close to past-Link’s wound, which was disappearing at a rapid rate.

Past-Link moved him arm experimentally, seemingly satisfied.

Princess Mipha spoke of Calamity Ganon, and her doubts, but Link really only focused on one thing.

“If you-if anyone ever tries to do you harm, then I will heal you; No matter when, or how bad the wound. I hope you know…that I will always protect you.  
Once this whole thing is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know…perhaps we could spend some time together.”

As the memory faded away, Link wondered why hearing her say that hurt so much.

When Prince Sidon and Muzu came into view again, he forced down his feelings. He couldn’t let them get in the way of his duty, he _had_ to stay strong. 

Heroes don’t cry.

<s>But in that moment, he wanted to. </s>

...

With each Divine Beast came yet another memory to weigh him down. By the time he was finally headed back to Kakariko Village to report to Impa, it took everything he had to keep the stone mask on his face.

Link couldn’t afford to break now, not when he was so close.

Princess Zelda was waiting for the Hero of Hyrule, not some sobbing mess.

Heroes didn’t need emotions. Heroes didn’t cry. Heroes did their duty without hesitation. The only reason he existed was to serve Hyrule. 

His feelings hardly mattered.

...

It was finally over.

Link had defeated Calamity Ganon.

He should be…happy, right? He did his duty to the kingdom, he saved Princess Zelda, he saved _everyone_ from an ancient evil.

So why was he alone in the woods instead of celebrating with everyone else?

Why did he feel…feel…

What _was_ he feeling?

He felt like he was going to burst with the amount of emotions storming internally, but yet, he felt hollow and empty.

He wanted to cry, but no tears came.

He wanted to laugh, but his voice didn’t work.

He wanted to smile, but his face was an immovable mask of stone.

Had he held in his emotions for so long, that he couldn’t express them anymore?

...

Link met a wolf.

Since he saved Hyrule, he had taken to wandering the kingdom aimlessly, barely even sure where his feet were taking him anymore.

One day, he stumbled upon a camp of lizalfos. Before, it would’ve been easy to dispatch them all, because, as a hero, if he couldn’t defeat a few monsters, how could he _possibly_ defeat Calamity Ganon?

Yet, he found that he couldn’t bring himself to reach for the sword strapped to his back.

Link simply stared as the lizalfos scooped up their sharp boomerangs and spears, rushing towards him at inhuman speeds.

What was the point?

He was reborn into the world for one purpose, and that was to save Hyrule. Hyrule had been saved, he did his duty, so what was left for him? All he did was wander, lost and alone, with no real reason to exist anymore.

So, if he just let them run him through, would it really be such a bad thing?

Then, it happened.

With one of the lizalfos just a few feet away, something leaped forward, knocking the monster away. Link’s head snapped towards his mysterious rescuer, seeing nothing other than a wolf. Its fur was a very dark grey, almost black, with strange white markings on its forehead.

Something _very_ about it, other than it being unlike _any_ wolf Link had ever seen before, was that there were a pair of earrings dangling from its two ears, which were pulled back in a sign of aggression. 

Link watched in awe as the wolf singlehandedly took out the entire monster camp, keeping any lizalfos away from his position. 

Was it _protecting_ him?

As the wolf concernedly sniffed Link for injuries, he simply wondered one thing:

_Why did this wolf want him to live? _

...

The wolf became a frequent visitor, constantly showing up to fight off anything and everything that attacked him, or even to just quietly walk at his side.

As he absentmindedly poked at his small campfire with a stick, he looked at the wolf sitting next to him.

“…Why?” Link suddenly spoke, his voice quiet from disuse.

The wolf tilted its head, curious. 

“Why do you keep protecting me? Why do you insist on keeping a nobody like me in this world? I’m a mess! I’m not a hero; I’m not even a traveler! I’m just a failure! I failed a hundred years ago to protect everyone, and now I’m failing to even function as a person! I pushed down my emotions, thinking that it was the right thing to do, but now I can’t even express myself as a person! I’m just an empty shell! I did my duty, and now I have _nothing_ left!” 

His voice gained more volume as he went on, his hands started shaking.

“I have no purpose! I have no home! I have no family! I have no friends! I lost _all_ of it, and I couldn’t even grieve for it all! I just pushed everything down, because heroes don’t need emotions, right? They don’t have friends, or families, or homes, or even _memories_! I was born to serve a land I don’t remember, a princess who I barely know!”

Link didn’t see the emotions swirling in the wolf’s eyes. He didn’t see the shock, the horror, the sadness. 

“But you know what? I miss them! That’s right, I said it! I miss them so _damn_ much. I miss Mipha, Daruk, Urbosa, I even miss Revali! I miss my memories, I miss having a family, even if I don’t remember having one! I just-“  
“I just want to be a whole person again!”

The wolf gently nudged him, making him turn to look in its direction. Its eyes were kind, practically human.

It didn’t say anything, it couldn’t say anything, yet as Link stared into its eyes, an understanding passed between them. They understood each other. 

On that night, Link buried his face into the wolf’s side, and for the first time since he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection, he cried.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, finally got the last chapter out hope you guys enjoy!

Once the tears started, they seemed to have no end. All the emotions Link had buried deep in his mind suddenly flooding out onto the wolf’s fur.

On that night he grieved for many things; His friends, his family, his memories, his happiness.

Soon, though, his exhaustion caught up to him and he fell asleep, tears still streaming down his face. The wolf disappeared, a smaller form replacing it.

Two arms cradled the sleeping boy, and a soft voice cut through the silence, “You’ll be okay, cub.”

… 

The wolf was gone when Link woke up.

In its place was a fur pelt which had been rolled up to form something similar to a pillow. He could feel the fabric of his bedroll underneath him as he pushed himself up.

_’How did he end up on his bedroll? And where did this pelt come from?’_

Link, suddenly alert, scanned the temporary camp for any signs of an intruder. 

His Sheikah Slate and the Master Sword both sat next to a fallen log, untouched. The small campfire had long since gone out; a half-eaten meat skewer lay abandoned next to it. What alarmed him, however, were the unfamiliar footprints leading away from his location.

_’Someone was here’_

From what he gathered, someone had snuck into his camp in the middle of the night, and instead of stealing his things or just killing him, they had given him a fur pelt, placed him on his bedroll and left. 

Deciding to put the strange occurrence in the back of his mind, Link gathered up his belongings before abandoning the temporary camp. He pulled his hood over his head, the cloth casting a shadow over his face.

Link didn’t need someone seeing the raw pain that his eyes betrayed.

…

It wasn’t until later that the wolf showed up again. 

According his Sheikah Slate, it was sometimes around noon, but it usually showed up earlier. It was a bit strange, but Link shrugged it off; Maybe it had gotten lost or something. The wolf padded at his side, offering its comforting presence as he walked. They didn’t run into any monster camps on the path. The day seemed quite unusually peaceful, Link noticed. He couldn’t really bring himself to enjoy it, though.

Emotions can be a real downer sometimes. It was as if a dark cloud had settled over his head, blocking out the sunshine and filtering his world with darkness.

For once, Link could openly admit he was sad.

…

The wolf’s visits became less and less frequent, much to Link’s disappointment.

Sometimes it was even several days before his travelling companion made an appearance, but he couldn’t really be mad at it though. It probably had better things to do than wander through the wild with a pathetic mess like him.

Link sighed, activating the map feature on his Sheikah Slate. He was currently in the Tabantha Region, fairly close to Rito Village. He supposed that he could stop in the village and grab a few supplies and such. He _was_ starting to run low on Tabantha Wheat. 

Slipping the Slate back on his belt, he carried on down the path.

He walked alone, once again.

…

The trip to Rito Village was uneventful, since he had long since cleared the monster camps on this road.

He wasn’t complaining though, he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with monsters at the moment. Vah Medoh stood proudly over the village, much like the champion who piloted it a century ago. Link felt a pang of guilt at the thought.

Link didn’t know that much about the Rito champion, since he really only had one or two memories of him. From what he remembered, he was a prideful, intolerable asshole, yet he wanted nothing more than the snarky bird to come down and challenge him to a fight.

He missed Revali. 

Link shook his head; this wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. The last thing he needed was to break down in front of a bunch of strangers. Besides, he had things to buy. 

Pushing his thoughts of the Rito champion aside, Link ventured into the village.

…

To Link’s surprise, almost as soon as the Rito guard posted at the entrance had spotted him, he had told him to go see the Rito Elder- Kaneli.

“Ah, Champion descendant! I’m glad to see that you’re safe! The princess informed us that you had disappeared, and-oh! The princess!” The owl-like Rito gasped, reaching for a sheet of parchment, “I must send her a message to let her know that you’ve returned! She’s been looking all over for you!”

Princess Zelda-no, she told him to just call her Zelda- was looking for him? He hadn’t thought of the princess’ feelings when he had decided to run off like he did. Link just couldn’t bear seeing the barely concealed disappointment every time someone asked him about his past life.

He couldn’t bear to fail any more people.

“Wait.” The Rito Elder stopped writing on the parchment, “I…I can’t return…not yet. I’m not…ready to return. I need to find myself first, as stupid as that sounds.”

Kaneli stared at the hero for a few moments, considering, before nodding, “I understand, is there anything you’d like me to tell the princess?”

Link thought for a moment, “Tell her that…the next time that she sees me, I won’t be the Hero of Hyrule. I’ll be Link, her friend.”

With that, he turned and walked away from the Elder.

…

It had been a few days since he spoke with Kaneli, and he was starting to do better, he supposed. He still felt…sad…but he also felt…lighter. Like a burden was removed from his shoulders.

He decided that he wanted to learn more about himself, about who he was. Link found that he really enjoyed to cook, and to occasionally shield surf. He also found it enjoyable to go…fishing…with the Sheikah Slate.

Link couldn’t necessarily say he was happy, but he felt like…a real person, and honestly that’s really all he needed at the moment.

…

Voices were approaching his location.

Link had just taken out a monster camp in the Akkala region, the final of the monsters having just disappeared into black smoke, leaving their weapons behind plus a few horns and claws when he heard a group of voices getting closer.

From what he could hear, there were at least five, but there could be more.

Nocking an arrow on his bow, he cautiously waited for the group to appear in his line of sight. When they did, it wasn’t exactly what he expected.

There were nine people in total, but each person looked as if they had come from a different kingdom. Not that Link _knew_ of any other kingdoms. 

The first one who Link immediately labeled as the leader of the group wore heavy-looking armor, his bangs sticking up to almost make an ‘M’ shape. One of his eyes was closed, and the other held deep secrets and untold traumas.

There was a child in blue, a boy with four colors on his tunic, one with a red tunic and a blue cap, who was butting heads with a boy with a long scarf. Standing just off to the side was a fairly sunny-looking boy and a shorter boy with shaggy brown hair.

Out of all of them though, one in particular caught his eye. He seemed like one of the oldest of the group, markings on his face and dirty blonde hair that seemed similar in style to the leader. What really stood out to him was the pelt that sat on his shoulders.

_The exact same pelt that he had found that one morning._

The two stared at each other and for some reason, as Link stared into his eyes he was reminded of the wolf who accompanied him on his travels.

According to the leader- who introduced himself as Time- the entire group consisted of heroes from different eras. They had apparently been gathered together by the goddess to defeat the growing darkness that plagued all of their Hyrules.

Link blinked as the boy with the fur pelt smiled softly at him, making him feel oddly at ease.

He broke his gaze away from the other boy’s to look at Time, “Yeah, I’ll join your group, as long as I get to cook.”

The entire group seemed to collectively sigh in relief, with a few mutters about…Hyrule’s cooking?

Turning to look at the fur pelt boy, who he later knew to be Twilight, for the first time in as long as he could remember,

He smiled.


End file.
